Toward sustainable waste management: estimating emissions from alternative practices in Gulf Cooperation Council countries

The predominant solid waste disposal method in the world is landfilling, which has led to significant gas emissions. The aim of this study is to estimate the emissions of alternative solid waste management practices in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) using the Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The study focuses on the South Seven Ring Road landfill in Kuwait and covers the period from 2025, when alternative scenarios will start, to 2036, which is one year after the predicted closure of the landfill. The study explores various waste management strategies grouped into two distinct approaches. The Baseline scenario, where all waste is landfilled, serves as a reference, reflecting the current main treatment method in the GCC. In the first approach, we evaluated four distinct scenarios: composting 25% of the total compostable waste, recycling 50% of recyclable waste, combusting 25% of combustible waste, and a scenario combining these strategies. The second approach further intensified these strategies: composting was increased to 70% of compostable waste, recycling remained at 50% of recyclable waste, and combustion was expanded to include 100% of combustible waste for energy production. The study reveals that no single waste management alternative is the optimum solution for reducing all emissions. Each alternative displays the capacity to reduce certain emission types while potentially increasing others, necessitating a consideration of specific emission types when choosing the most suitable strategy. For overall emission mitigation, composting emerges as the most effective alternative in the GCC.